OK just returned from holiday and one of our luggage bags was opened either in Orlando airport or Gatwick. I know this for sure as both our checked in bags had a luggage identity strap which i fitted to the case around the vertical side so that it passed underneath and through the retractable handle. It wasn't until we were unloading the bags from the car when we got home that i noticed the strap was alongside the handle an not through it, i should have noticed when we collected the bags, but after a sleepless 9 hour night flight and the thought of a 3 hour drive home i never gave things a second look. Now that we have unpacked the bags, the one which had the strap tampered with (my wife's) we have found some items missing nothing of great value, just some souvenir t-shirts, a few key rings and a fathers day present. All purchased from USA and branded with Florida or Orlando, so no real chance of getting them replaced.

These items were all purchased on the final day of our holiday along with many other items and packaged between both our cases so to keep weight as even as possible. I've been in contact with the car hire company to check to make sure nothing was left in the car (highly unlikely) but thought better ask, and had a reply with the report they do on returned car inspection, nothing apart from some tissues and tourist maps were left. Again been in touch with Villa property management and they have assured us apart from items left in the fridge i.e some cans of soft drinks and condiments nothing else was left. So have been in contact with both airports now, but heard nothing. I did noticed that in Gatwick, some suitcases had tape stuck to them which had "bags inspected" on, but ours never.

There is always insurance but given the low value and you probably have an excess to pay, may not be worthwhile.

Difficult one. I cannot imagine that anyone opens their luggage on the baggage carousel to check the contents but if you can narrow the possibilities down to the baggage handling at one of the airports I would start with an email to Gatwick, I would have thought that all the baggage is watched by CCTV and they should be able to identify a guilty party.

Have contacted both airports and reported the items to the lost and found so fingers crossed if they did some how fall out of a zipped suitcase that was closed when we picked them up. I think I’m just more annoyed to think the case was riffled through unofficially.

Don't think it's just as common now but thefts from suitcases were regular unfortuantely though it seems strange what's been removed.

I've had my case examined on more than one occasion (not that bad with over 20 years travelling) and sometimes they leave a note sometimes they don't. Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be much comeback either and you're only option would have been to claim on insurance if it was of value.

Many years ago my suitcase had an integrated lock on it as opposed to most which are now locked with a TSA approved padlock and they basically broke open both locks to gain entry effectively ruining it. Wrote at the time to the airline, airports etc. and was basically told tough they're allowed to inspect them and force entry if required.

Roll forward to another suitcase which I had a TSA approved lock on and this time i had a note saying it had been examined however the lock was nowhere to be seen which I thought was the point of TSA approved locks meaning they could be opened with a master key and the suitcase locked up again after inspection!!

I'm in Turks and Caicos just now and on my flight over when i picked my case up at baggage the lock had been removed. I had a look in my suitcase and there was no note and in fairness it didn't even look as if anyone had been in it so who knows....

It's a shame that it was a fathers day gift and stuff as you say can't be replaced however it just gives you an excuse to save for another trip

My bags are inspected every time I fly. They even put a piece of paper in the bag saying it was inspected. No use buying the TSA approved locks as they get in a hurry and cut those off too. Blame the terrorists.